KUALA LUMPUR: Rafiq Ismail produced a respectable performance in the singles event at the Men’s World Championships in Hong Kong on Saturday but it may not be enough to reach the semi-finals.
Bowling in squad one, Rafiq amassed a six-game total of 1,361 pinfalls to finish third.
American bowlers Andrew Anderson and Kyle Troup claimed the top two spots on 1,473 and 1,368 pinfalls respectively.
Malaysian Timmy Tan finished 10th place on 1,280.
The bowlers with the four highest scores will qualify for the next round. Two more squads will be completed on Monday.
"To be honest, I didn't expect to make the top four (after two squads). However, I could have done better," lamented Rafiq when contacted.
"In the fifth game, I split my opening three frames, but I managed to score 213 pins.
"Honestly, I don't think I can make it as there are still more than a 100 bowlers who have yet to bowl, but we will see. There is nothing I can do but wait," added the Asian Games gold medal winner.
Compatriots Alex Liew, Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek, Adrian Ang and Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam will bowl in squad three and four on Monday.
"If it's not me, then hopefully one of my teammates will be able to make the top four. It would be nice to start our campaign with a medal," said Rafiq.